DUTCH YACHT and SPANISH GALLEON
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 8:42 pm
Two of the ship depicts on this stamp of Cambodia issued in 1990 with the inscription “Bateau Hollandais 1627” and “Galion Espagnol du 16th Century have according a stamp chat board something to do with the capture of a Dutch VOC ship by Spanish ships in 1624 on the coast of SIAM. I lost the URL of the chat board and can’t find it back. There are a few web-sites which tell the story of this capture of which one is give below.
In 1624 Don Fernando de Silva’s ship, loaded with more than five hundred thousand ducados in merchandise, encountered a heavy storm on the return
voyage from Macao to Manila. Silva, was forced to port in Siam and his vessel was wrecked at the bar. In order to replace the ship, he bought two
others. As the season was advanced and they could not get away quickly, he dispatched a small vessel with eight Spanish sailors and some of the
merchandise to Manila. On the rumor that the Dutch captured his vessel, Don Fernando attacked the passing Dutch yacht “Zeelandt” at night. The Spaniards
entered the Dutch VOC ship with the loss of only one man. The crew and the merchandise aboard were captured. King Songtham of Siam, informed by the
Dutch director van der Elst, sent a message to Don Fernando de Silva stating that he should return the ship and set the crew free, since it was captured in
Siamese territorial waters. Don Fernando, answered he wouldn’t and used a terminology improper to the King. The King ordered then the Spaniards to be
attacked. A fleet of boats with hundreds of Siamese and Japanese troops swarmed down on the two Spanish galleons. The Spaniards tried to get away,
began to serve their artillery, but in the confusion one of the galleons ran aground, where up it was entered. A fierce battle raged wherein 150 Spaniards and
25 of the king’s troops were killed. Don Fernando de Silva was killed in battle, sword in the hand. The Siamese recaptured the “Zeelandt” and its crew from
the Spaniards and its cargo was unloaded in the king’s warehouses. The nine deaths and the wounded Dutch were brought to the Dutch “factorij”. The
remaining Spaniards were thrown in prison and their ships confiscated and pillaged. No action was taken by Manila to the matter on account of the death of
Governor Don Alonso Fajardo at that time. The king returned after negotiating the “Zeelandt” to the Dutch, but its cargo remained locked in his warehouses.
In order to negotiate the cargo, the Governor General in Batavia sent Jan Van Hasel to Siam. The latter succeeded in partly recuperating the Dutch
merchandise. The Spanish-Dutch incident would bring Siam on the brink of war with Spain, while at the same time Portugal lost their favorite status in
Siam and could no more obtain proper access to the Siamese Court.
Late 1625, Father Pedro de Morejon, a Spanish Jesuit, arrived in Manila from Rome over Siam, with the news of the incident occurred to Don
Fernando de Silva. The Governor of Manila, Fernando de Silva, wrote the Jesuit superiors in Macau to request the help of Father de Morejon in seeking
the release of de Silva’s men, ships and goods from Siam. Macau agreed with the mission of de Morejon, and he returned from Macau to Manila
accompanied by another Jesuit father, Antonio Cardin, with as complementary task to start a new Jesuit mission in Ayutthaya. The governor prepared a
vessel with some Spaniards of good standing, and dispatched them by the month of January 1626 to Siam. The Spaniards reached the court of Siam in
March and received a cordial reception. The Spanish embassy negotiated the delivery of the Spanish prisoners, as well as the artillery, and other goods
which the ships were carrying. Although the king ordered everything to be given up, the merchandise could not be recuperated, the soldiers having pillaged
and divided the goods among themselves. The Siamese returned only the value of ten thousand pesos. Father de Morejon was successful in getting the
release of the Spaniards and returned to Manila. He arrived there in August and delivered to the new Governor Don Juan Nino de Tabora, a present
given to them by the king of Siam. Antonio Cardin remained in Ayutthaya, received permission to establish his church and took up his ministry.
http://www.ayutthaya-history.com/Settle ... guese.html
Of the Spanish galleon depict I have not any information, the Dutch ship looks like a yacht or pinnace comparing this with drawings of VOC ships, A drawing of the yacht HEEMSKERCK of Abel Tasman looks almost the same as the stamp design, if she is the ZEELANDT (correct name is WAPEN VAN ZEELAND) is doubtful, I can’t find any drawing or painting of the ship. If she was in 1624 in Siam is also not given in the database of the VOC.
WAPEN VAN ZEELAND was not a yacht but a retour vessel (homeward-bounder) of 700 tons.
Cambodia 1990 80c/3r sg1115/16, scott1081/82. (The first image is of the Heemskerck.)
Source: http://www.vocsite.nl/schepen/detail.html?id=11221 (In Dutch)
In 1624 Don Fernando de Silva’s ship, loaded with more than five hundred thousand ducados in merchandise, encountered a heavy storm on the return
voyage from Macao to Manila. Silva, was forced to port in Siam and his vessel was wrecked at the bar. In order to replace the ship, he bought two
others. As the season was advanced and they could not get away quickly, he dispatched a small vessel with eight Spanish sailors and some of the
merchandise to Manila. On the rumor that the Dutch captured his vessel, Don Fernando attacked the passing Dutch yacht “Zeelandt” at night. The Spaniards
entered the Dutch VOC ship with the loss of only one man. The crew and the merchandise aboard were captured. King Songtham of Siam, informed by the
Dutch director van der Elst, sent a message to Don Fernando de Silva stating that he should return the ship and set the crew free, since it was captured in
Siamese territorial waters. Don Fernando, answered he wouldn’t and used a terminology improper to the King. The King ordered then the Spaniards to be
attacked. A fleet of boats with hundreds of Siamese and Japanese troops swarmed down on the two Spanish galleons. The Spaniards tried to get away,
began to serve their artillery, but in the confusion one of the galleons ran aground, where up it was entered. A fierce battle raged wherein 150 Spaniards and
25 of the king’s troops were killed. Don Fernando de Silva was killed in battle, sword in the hand. The Siamese recaptured the “Zeelandt” and its crew from
the Spaniards and its cargo was unloaded in the king’s warehouses. The nine deaths and the wounded Dutch were brought to the Dutch “factorij”. The
remaining Spaniards were thrown in prison and their ships confiscated and pillaged. No action was taken by Manila to the matter on account of the death of
Governor Don Alonso Fajardo at that time. The king returned after negotiating the “Zeelandt” to the Dutch, but its cargo remained locked in his warehouses.
In order to negotiate the cargo, the Governor General in Batavia sent Jan Van Hasel to Siam. The latter succeeded in partly recuperating the Dutch
merchandise. The Spanish-Dutch incident would bring Siam on the brink of war with Spain, while at the same time Portugal lost their favorite status in
Siam and could no more obtain proper access to the Siamese Court.
Late 1625, Father Pedro de Morejon, a Spanish Jesuit, arrived in Manila from Rome over Siam, with the news of the incident occurred to Don
Fernando de Silva. The Governor of Manila, Fernando de Silva, wrote the Jesuit superiors in Macau to request the help of Father de Morejon in seeking
the release of de Silva’s men, ships and goods from Siam. Macau agreed with the mission of de Morejon, and he returned from Macau to Manila
accompanied by another Jesuit father, Antonio Cardin, with as complementary task to start a new Jesuit mission in Ayutthaya. The governor prepared a
vessel with some Spaniards of good standing, and dispatched them by the month of January 1626 to Siam. The Spaniards reached the court of Siam in
March and received a cordial reception. The Spanish embassy negotiated the delivery of the Spanish prisoners, as well as the artillery, and other goods
which the ships were carrying. Although the king ordered everything to be given up, the merchandise could not be recuperated, the soldiers having pillaged
and divided the goods among themselves. The Siamese returned only the value of ten thousand pesos. Father de Morejon was successful in getting the
release of the Spaniards and returned to Manila. He arrived there in August and delivered to the new Governor Don Juan Nino de Tabora, a present
given to them by the king of Siam. Antonio Cardin remained in Ayutthaya, received permission to establish his church and took up his ministry.
http://www.ayutthaya-history.com/Settle ... guese.html
Of the Spanish galleon depict I have not any information, the Dutch ship looks like a yacht or pinnace comparing this with drawings of VOC ships, A drawing of the yacht HEEMSKERCK of Abel Tasman looks almost the same as the stamp design, if she is the ZEELANDT (correct name is WAPEN VAN ZEELAND) is doubtful, I can’t find any drawing or painting of the ship. If she was in 1624 in Siam is also not given in the database of the VOC.
WAPEN VAN ZEELAND was not a yacht but a retour vessel (homeward-bounder) of 700 tons.
Cambodia 1990 80c/3r sg1115/16, scott1081/82. (The first image is of the Heemskerck.)
Source: http://www.vocsite.nl/schepen/detail.html?id=11221 (In Dutch)